A Letter from Tim Jenkins and Darran Littlefield, Co-CEOs

2009 tested the resilience of organizations in every industry and market, including our firm and our clients.

Although the year ended on a more positive economic note than it began, lingering uncertainty affected all businesses throughout 2009. Many clients faced rapidly shifting priorities. All were focused on strategies as essential to surviving as they were to thriving.

Our own business slowed during the first two quarters, and our annual revenue was down for the first time in the firm's 15-year history. But by mid-year, we began to see signs of recovery. And during even the toughest quarters of 2009, we had reason to be proud of Point B's performance on behalf of our clients.

The trust our clients show in us has been deeply gratifying as we worked alongside them through the deepest recession in our generation. We deliberately kept our workforce intact to remain strong, and stood by our clients when they needed us. Now we are at full strength as the economy revives.

We couldn't have been successful in 2009 without the exceptional performance of our associates. In a year that put our new employee-ownership model to the test, our associates embraced their new status as employee-owners, pitching in for the greater good of the firm and continuing to act in the best interests of our clients. Our firm looked closely at costs, cut non-essentials, and embraced the collaborative spirit that has always been central to Point B's culture—and success. More than ever, associates helped each other evaluate problems, focused quickly on solutions and drew on the firm's collective wisdom via our Knowledge Management system to deliver high and immediate value to clients.

The work we did in 2009 intensified Point B's focus on strategic execution, delivering results that add significant business value with a high return on investment. Many clients brought us to the table earlier in their strategic planning, when we could help create the conditions for success and develop the best plan for execution before leading the implementation.

The year further demonstrated that organizations can think big and make significant breakthroughs in their business without spending every last dollar getting there. Strategic success need not take an army of people; but it does take the right people doing the right work in the right manner. We established the firm in 1995 on a low-overhead, innovative and value-driven model to deliver the greatest benefits to our clients in all economic environments. Fifteen years later, the value and relevance of our business model have never been more apparent.

Finally, we stood fast in our commitment to the communities where we live and work. We invested associate time and resources in a wide array of non-profit organizations, knowing that in poor economic times, their missions are more critical than ever. This year's report features Seattle Opera and Metro Volunteers, two of the many organizations we partner with through skills-based corporate giving and firm-wide volunteerism. There are dozens of others that we believe in, invest in and partner with year after year. We believe their successes represent some of the firm's greatest contributions.

Few anticipate a return to the frothy days before the Great Recession. In some ways, that's not bad. Point B and its clients are focusing on what really matters: thinking big while working lean to create real business value. We are proud of the choices we made in 2009, putting our clients and associates first. We believe it is this kind of commitment to people that has enabled us to deliver on the promise we made in last year's letter: to be here for our clients when the wind picks up.

More than ever, we appreciate the trust you place in us.

Tim Jenkins and Darran Littlefield
Co-founders, Co-CEOs